Reincarnated Villainess Does Not Want Revenge - Chapter 78
Translated by: ShinigamiTori
(Side Story) The Queen’s Fate 1
Every day, she stared in dismay at the scenery she was tired of seeing in the dirty, cramped cage.
No matter how she tried to get comfortable on the frigid and flimsy mattress, she’d still wake up with various aches throughout her body.
Meals are provided twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, but the hard bread and cold soup are bland.
Tia had never eaten such simple and tasteless food before, so when she was served it for the first time, she didn’t eat much because it was so tasteless, but hunger had kindled her appetite, and now, these bland meals were the only sustenance in Tiara’s life.
She wakes up in a cold cell. She spends her days doing nothing, eating the food she’s given and sleeping on a cold bunk. She wakes up in the middle of the night, cold and sore. She looks at the moon through the small window. And morning comes.
?
Even though there was nothing to do, Tia was now clinging to life.
Until now, living had felt empty and dull. She spent her days creating games and playing for fun. The days were filled with joy when she won the game.
She never thought about what would happen if she lost the game.
“How long do I have to stay here….?”
The voice she muttered in a whisper sounded hoarse because she hadn’t spoken in a long time. She sounded like an old woman, the opposite of the voice that had been praised for its light, bell-like tones.
She even smelled bad because she hadn’t had a chance to wash her body properly. She’s given a wet hand towel to wipe her body once every three days, but that’s not enough to fully clean her entire body. Even so, just wiping her face and body clean with a wet hand towel made her feel remarkably refreshed, something she had never experienced before. It’s not an exaggeration to say that this is the only solace in Tia’s life in captivity.
Even when she was driven out of the royal palace, the maids always remained by her side. Her red hair, which had been oiled and shined while bathing, had now lost its moisture, and the tangled parts were fixed with a hand comb.
Since there was nothing to do all day, she was given embroidery that was provided for the women in solitary confinement to pass the time, but Tia disliked embroidery, so she hadn’t touched it.
Come to think of it, a long time ago, when she went to see Rosemary, who was imprisoned in exactly the same way, Tia saw her embroidering.
The woman in her recollection should have been in the exact same situation as the current Tia.
She chuckled mockingly upon meeting Rosemary, deeming her filthy.
Tia thought Rosemary deserved to be jailed because she was an enemy of hers and was interfering with her game.
Tia bit her ragged nails. It was a habit she had developed since being locked up in the cell, leaving her nails in a sorry state.
It’s frustrating. She shouldn’t be in this kind of place.
She should be favored as a queen. She was the current king’s mother, so if the verdict was to take that into account, she would probably only be deported.
However, in a cruel twist of reality, she was sentenced to death by hanging.
She was in disbelief when she heard it. She hadn’t prepared for a future in which she would be executed. Although she wanted to speak out and refute this unexpected reality, she was immediately restrained and removed from the courtroom, and is now locked in this cell.
She’s been counting the days every day since she was told the date of her execution.
To see how many days she has left before she dies.
It’s horrifying, but she can’t stop it.
If it’s a dream, she wishes she could wake up as soon as possible. But every day, she grows hungry, and her body carries on with its natural functions. It’s the harsh reality, and she has to just accept it.
She’s never wanted to escape from reality as badly as she does now.
Ever since she was born, she was tired of the boring days. Tia lived her life as she was told, but playing games was the only thing that gave her purpose in life.
Tia found joy in those moments when she could see her opponent’s pained expression after deceiving them, the despair when they realized their defeat, and the onslaught of intense emotions, as dark as they come, directed at Tia.
She had never personally felt that despair or regret. She avoided playing a game where she might lose. If she anticipated a loss, she would swiftly prepare to escape and begin a new game elsewhere. That was the pattern.
?
Now, Tia was completely defeated. Regardless of how reluctant she might be to admit it, that was an undeniable truth.
But Tia knew that there was something she feared even more than defeat.
It’s death.
Ever since she was told that she had only a short time left to live, Tia had been overwhelmed by a fear she had never experienced before.
If she doesn’t escape somehow, she will be killed.
?
‘No, I don’t want to die. I want to live longer.’
But why? What’s the point of living?
Having lost her position, wealth, and everything else, she couldn’t even begin to plan how to survive. Yet, Tia clung relentlessly to life.
It was the first time she had ever felt this emotion – an attachment to life. She understood it was a pitiful act. Tia herself had witnessed people begging for their lives numerous times, and each time, she had mocked them. It’s disgusting. Seeing someone resorting to begging for their life, going as far as to plead for mercy from the victor. And she had abandoned them.
In her present situation, she had finally grasped what it meant to be in the opposite position. She was willing to cast aside her own pride if it meant surviving. She didn’t want to die.
Even so, the day of her sentence was approaching with each passing hour.
‘I need to find a way. Someone, please help.’
With her voice almost gone, Tia wanted to scream in her prison cell. But there was no way she would be saved even if she begged for her life from the guards who were present.
She racked her brain, trying to come up with a way to save herself. She’s good at game strategy, so now’s the time to put that skill to use.
Finally, Tia thought of a way to save herself and called the guard.
The guard reluctantly approached Tia and addressed her in a cold tone.
Tia clung to the bars of her cell as she begged the guard.
“I really want to see my son before my execution. Please tell Risel that I want to see him.”
With her eyes, which had always been calculating, now glistening with tears, she pleaded earnestly. She poured out her heartfelt desire as a loving mother to meet her son.
Then, the guard falls silent for a moment.
“I’ll let him know.”
And with that, the guard left.
Tia was thankful. She didn’t possess any faith or religious beliefs, but she had a deep sense of gratitude.
She’s sure that the kind-hearted King Risel might be merciful enough to come to his mother’s aid.
Tia starts to brainstorm. How could she convince Risel to set her free? The only trump card Tia had was that she was the mother of the current king.
Tia, whose perspective was confined to her pieces on the board, fails to realize.
She’s missing something essential to her trump card: love.
Hi, I’m Tori, the translator of this novel! If you like the novel and would like to support me, feel free to click the button below to go to my ko-fi! (??`?) Or you can consider sending some love by adding it to your reading list or leaving a rating/review on Novel Updates! Have a good day ?